Signs of Autism in infants 

I was also ‘labelled’ or ‘diagnosed’ when i was young... today, i am first class honours graduate, i speak four languages fluently and i play 4 instruments well.. i am also a practising Artist. Im not trying to brag but Dont be easily led to believing what they tell u. Look for unique strengths that your son may have. Loves

I was diagnosed with autism as a baby as well, just have to make sure he keeps getting educated for the rest of his life, as for I am now a college graduate with a music business degree with a minor in entertainment law, I speak Spanish and know the different dialects of the Spanish language, I love to learn different cultures, I sing,write,play two instruments and read music,& I’m trying to write a book and hopefully get it published someday,Your baby boy will do great things.

I don’t know why RU-vid recommended this video. But it is clear that you are a great Mom, perceptive and attentive. Sharing your experiences will help others.

I don't see anything wrong with this little boy. He seems like a happy kid.

Autism is understanding that they have a different way of learning and expressing themselves, they are very intelligent children. I’m a teacher and had the honor of teaching 4 wonderful kids with autism.

My nephew has autism and he is one of the smartest persons I know... May God bless you and all the parents that have been chosen to be the angels of these beautiful souls!

Growing up, my younger brother was diagnosed with autism at about 2 years old when I was 15. Lack of eye contact, delayed speech, stimming, etc. Fast forward until I became a father at 29, I noticed my son at only a few months old was behaving in the same manner. I brought it up to his doctor and voiced my concern about autism. Voicing your concern is absolutely the most important thing when speaking with your childs doctor. I know it can be easy to believe that it's just a phase, or even be in denial, but put all that aside and really be honest and straightforward with your pediatrician. Anyways, after speaking with my doctor, HE set me up with the right child psychiatrists and by 20 months old, my son was diagnosed with autism. The entire process of diagnoses can take a LONG time, so make sure you speak up early about your concerns. It can take months or years just to get your child into Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs. The earlier the detection, the earlier your child gets the benefits they need. I know I mentioned ABA and how it can be disliked in the autism community, but the point of me saying this is that not all ABA clinics perform the same way. My sons ABA therapist is a wonderful and loving professional who has helped my son in the best way possible. Early Detection is the best possible outcome, so DO NOT HESITATE to get help.

i don’t have kids but this awesome video was suggested to me out of nowhere, god bless your beautiful family

For others watching this.... please be careful with the labelling. Many of these symptoms shown in this video are indicators of other things or are actually normal behaviours for the age/stage of the child. This will be why a diagnosis is not rushed. Some behaviours children grow out of because it’s a style of learning and others are indicators of other things which they may or may not, grow out of. I only saw a couple of things in this which indicate autism but those things can also be causes of other things too. Early diagnosis can lead to a wrong diagnosis, so don’t rush it. Accept your child for who they are, embrace them and support them the best way you can. They may, or may not have autism. I understand the intention behind the video, but it could cause more harm for some parents who decide to self diagnose incorrectly, which then does no good for their child.

Just a note about how wrong doctors can be: My Dad had polio as a child. Doctors told his parents that he would live to be 12 years old at most. Well he passed away a few years ago, at age 86. He was a very successful businessman, married a wonderful woman and had 6 children that loved and respected him immensely.

My son has Asperger's Syndrome, and what I remember most was he didn't cry. From birth, never cried until my twins were born 14 months later and he and I were trapped in a room with two caulicle babies. Any other time what he would do is knock on the wall and grunt. Didn't talk until he was 3 years, but at the age of two he could put together and adult 100 piece puzzle. Graduated third in a class of 1,500, graduated on the Deans list after 4 years of college mastering in computer engineering and mathematics and now works as a computer engineer and lives on his own 3 states away. But a Mother never stops worrying.

My son showed all the classic signs of high functioning autism from around 18 months. He was fascinated with order and I would regularly come into his room and every single toy or object would be lined up in exact precision across the whole floor. You could use a ruler to measure the spacing between each one, it was that precise. He also hand flapped, screamed without warning (the pitch of which could break glass), and was obsessed with routine. We used to have to walk the exact same route to the park or he would try to run across the road to "redo" it. To this day (he's now 9), he will only eat the same food for dinner each and every day. Life is very structured but we love him dearly. He shows a real flair for writing and whilst we are encouraging a whole range of.activities (in the hope that he finds something else to love) his love and talent for writing is something that could be both a solace and a great career for him. Who knows what the future holds for any of us; you just have to do your best and love your child unconditionally.

Raiden is so adorable. I dont care what anyone says these beautiful babies become some of the most intelligent, talented human beings on the planet. Put in all the activities that you can. He is awesome. Much love from me and my family...

He is a smart boy. He may be special, but that doesn't define him as a person. I admire you for loving your son deeply, and for him that's all that matters. God bless you and your family.

He’s a beautiful boy, and a blessing from God! My granddaughter who just turned 7 this month showed the some of the same symptoms. The hand flapping and stemming are a major sign. As a special education teacher specializing in Autism, I was able to point out the signs to my daughter. However, because she was/is so high functioning she was not formally diagnosed until 3 years old. Please push your pediatrician to have your child tested early so that you can make sure your child gets the services he or she needs immediately! These children are such blessing from God and we have been blessed to have her in our lives❤️

It is such an inspiration to hear these stories of kids who have autism and their accomplishments later on in life. One lady in the comments said to always push, and push and never let anyone tell you that it can't be done or that they are limited. My son was strugling with ADHD in the first few years of primary school and was always hitting and biting other kids at school. He was always getting into trouble at home either with me, his mum or his two sisters and was very rough with them. In prep I remember teachers tellng me that he would go into the adjacent rooms and go through every single peice of work and paper and throw them on the ground, all 21 students. He was always getting into trouble at school. I found myself repeating the same stuff over and over again trying to teach him how to behave like a tape on loop. Lord knows I have tried other methods ( if you catch my drift ). But now he's in grade 4 and has settled in tremendously and is far from what he used to be, but he still gets into trouble at times but I just have to keep on pushing, just like that lady said. We all love him so much!

As soon as I heard "My concerns were not being heard" I remembered when my mother tried mentioning her concerns about me to the doctor and she was also not being heard. MOTHERS KNOW. Parents not being heard is too common and it needs to be ADRESSED.

Mom is doing an excellent job helping her son reach all his milestones 🤗He will go on and do great things in the future 🙏

ADHD shares some of the symptoms, speech delay, hyper focus on things, body movements. It's good you had him looked at to be for sure what he has.

Some of these traits can also indicative of ADHD. Especially stimming, hyper-focusing, and sensory issues such as food. ❤️

I was diagnosed at 42 (Now 58) . My childhood was a real battle. Your son is lucky to have an early diagnosis.

I’ve read so many comments about him looking smart and associating autism with being dumb. Autistic children aren’t dumb

Don't know why this was recommended to me but it is relevant to my life at the moment as my sister was recently told by doctors her son may have autism. Honestly.. I know a lot of people with autism. I have worked as a support aide in elementary schools and I've also worked with adults. My boyfriend is also high functioning autistic. Everyone I've met with autism has been super cool, super unique, and I've had a great bond with all of them! Hope Raiden is doing well in preschool/school and he's getting any support he might need! He's super cute.

Wow - you’re a wonderful mother, watching your son so closely, and also help us know our own babies better too. That boy is a jewel xx

What a beautiful boy he is! The "signs" that you are pointing out here, however; are normal behaviours for children of the ages you have outlined, and it scares me to think that someone will watch your video and 'diagnose' their child. The stimming and lack of reaction to his name are a little more on point for autism.. So many young children are fascinated by spinning objects and by the lights on the television... I'm not saying that your child is not on the spectrum, just a lot of what is outlined here will scare the hell out of a new parent. (I work as a Parent Aid / Family Support Worker and my best friends are 'Littles'... I don't want to negate your experience, I am just hopeful that labels do not get offered because someone watched this video)... I want to reiterate what a beautiful boy he is.. and he is developmentally not only normal but advanced in some areas... the months in order at two is incredible! Counting to 100 at two.. amazing! You are obviously an incredible parent!

My daughter has also been diagnosed with functioning autism, but I believe she is uniquely herself. Our society wants to diagnosis everybody that doesn’t fit in the “normal” mode. She is quirky and has unique ways of dealing with life. But in numerous ways she is far more advanced than “normal” kids. For example, her vocabulary is incredible, she also has very high moral standard for herself. She’s very special and I’ve decided to to only label her unique, because we are all unique and special in our own way!

My niece had many of the same symptoms. She went through early intervention therapy starting at 18 months. That’s one good thing the high taxes in NY state covers. No she’s 16 - top 10 in her class, takes honors and AP, is on the track team. She still rings her hands at times and it’s just a part of who she is but otherwise like any other teenager. My sister had many sleepless nights (like years) but she was very proactive in her daughters care and it changed the outcome.

I was born with autism, and I agree with the fact that this video is very informative. All autistic people go through that phase at a very young age. Now that I think about it, I think this was what I did at a young age, too. Also, your son is amazing in the video!

My son Walter did a form of hand flapping, too. He was fascinated with straight edges on furniture, and with the color yellow. The one food we could consistently get him to eat was peanut butter. He wasn’t great with names either. For several years, my name was Hi. He had taught himself to read by age 3, and knew his alphabet forward and backwards (literally) in English and Greek. To this day (he’s about to turn 21) he can recite the highway and off-ramp numbers needed for many 8+ hour road trips we have been on starting from age 3. He’s different, but he’s my son, and I love him dearly.

Great job mommy! I have a 22 year old that was diagnosed with significant delay in all the areas. He loved to watch the TV guide channel because it fascinated him just seeing the writing scrolling up over and over. They told me he would have difficulty learning, speaking and walking. He also had trouble eating (even soup) he would choke on everything and even had asthma. Now he talks well; so much I have to tell him to stop sometimes 😁 He went to school, he is a carpenter, won a spelling bee, walks and runs when he has to and even made me a granny. I decided to keep working with him at home and never gave up on him. So keep it up and he will go far. They are very smart; just need the extra help. God bless you both and God bless your family.

Both of our sons (now 25 & 27) showed these same behaviors about the same time frames as yours. But they were delayed in just about everything, Late to talk, walk, potty train and all the rest. Social skills are very poor in each one even now. Eldest has been the most improved. Is now a licensed A&P mechanic. (aviation). They both struggle with administrative skills but the younger is very stubborn and socially lacking. He has been homeless far away for four years now after squandered 10K in savings. One is quite "stable" and the other in need of a new start. So we are going to get him, bring him home and give him a chance to start over. It has been found that my wife's Valproic Acid for Epilepsy may have been the determining factor in the Autism bit the boys also had their early vaccinations. We home schooled them since they were five. We are thankful for the accomplishments of the elder. We are still hopeful for the successes of the younger.

It's the high percentage of mercury and formaldehyde put into some of the various vaccines, that causes the majority of autism and Aspergers diseases.

He's as adorable and very intelligent as anyone else. May God bless you to have the strength of caring for him 🙏🏽❤️😊

My grandson was diagnosed in March, 2021, right after his 2nd birthday. So many things here were similar to my grandson. The biggest difference is that my grandson is very bright also but non verbal. He has speech therapists that come to the home for sessions 5 days a week. He is learning so much now! I just pray that by the time he goes to school he will be so much more verbal. Kids can be so cruel.

Thank you for sharing. I'm a grandmother to a 2 yr old Autistic grandson. At first I was in denial of his unusual behaviors', and breaks my heart to see him this way. I've read and done research and at times I feel sad, but I am glad that I am coming to terms with this and continue to help him in any which way that I can.

What a beautiful son you have! Thank you for sharing your story. We all need to have a better understanding of differences.

I'm just a parent with two normal kids. I have to say you guys are as forward thinking and brave as you are selfless. publishing your observations in order to help others must be a tremendous help for so many people. From clinicians to students to teachers and parents, I can't imagine anyone in the field not finding this useful.

Autism doesn't mean they lack intelligence. He's proud of his memoration skills. He's a great little boy.

He does not seem to have anything abnormal. He is very intelligent and will grow up to a successful man. May God bless him.

My son is 6 years old now and was diagnosed earlier this year with autism. Growing up with an autistic brother, I knew the signs early on but nobody listened or took me seriously about it. Since I had experience with autistic children, I just went about our lives and did things I knew would be helpful and beneficial to my sons development. My son was doing LARGE math problems by age 3 and younger but did not talk very well among other symptoms of ASD. Nobody listened or really believed me until my son started kindergarten and his teacher was the first to recognize it and recommended a specialist. May I also add that brother of mine I was talking about who is also autistic is doing fantastic in his life and is about to move to Hawaii to finish his degree in psychology and biology! And my son is at the top of his class academically!! 💕

Yes my son who is 45 now flapped also. I tried to tell the doctors when he was 2 years old so they tested him and they said nothing was wrong. I took him to a psychologist pre teen years and that man said I was his problem because I allowed him to listen to music actually the Beatles. I cried my eyes out wondering what I could have done to hurt my precious guy. I never took music from him. He was a natural at playing any instrument without 1 single lesson ever. Even wrote his own music. He said a lot of the music he wrote came to him in dreams. I am very proud of him. He even made it through college. He had a hard time with social anxiety and had few friends. He gets along fine with his siblings.

As a person knowing not a thing about Autism except for what I've seen in movies...But just happened to stumble upon this video and shared it to my Facebook page...I think as a mother of three...just making sure of all the basics can be overwhelming but when your instincts take hold there may be an issue...and you dont have the support from at least your pediatrician can be discouraging....thank you for sharing this...very informative and it is a pleasure to have been invited into your life with such a beautiful family....he is a gift as all children are...God Bless

My children are grown up now, but stumbled across your video and thought I would watch it. It is so nice of you to share your experiences of concern with other parents. Raiden seems like a really sweet boy and so typical in many ways. I'm spotting this video four years after it was made and hope all is well with you, Raiden and the rest of your family.

Simply the fact that you recognised signs so early shows how much of an attentive parent you are!

With those strong and loving parents around he surely going to thrive. As a society and parents we all should teach every child that every child , human being is unique in his/her own way and there can be a difference small or big in every human being and we as a friend, classmate and neighbour should be aware of that fact and help each other . My 8yr old very sensible, understood that early and 6 yr in her childhood excitement asks to which my 8 yr old clarifies saying "that's okay"... Biggest relief... They are on right path....

My son was also diagnosed at 2.5 years old and does a lot of things your son does/did. It was scary to know he had Autism at first and I would cry even thinking about it but now I know it’s what makes him special and I love him even more for it!

Thank you for being brave and sharing this video - it's like you've made a video about my 5yr old ❤️. Like you, we were able to receive an early diagnosis and have enjoyed exploring the world through his strengths. Now master 5yr old has just started school, academically learning at a 7-8yr old level!! I'm excited for you as a Mum to see your son reach for the stars and succeed ✨️

My friend has autism and shes such a nice, amazing, compassionate and Smart person. Im happy to have her in my life

Thank you for this video. Your child is very smart and beautiful human being and he is lucky to be born in such a loving and caring family. You are spot on - autism is not the end of the world at all. Best wishes to you and Raiden!

He is too adorable God bless him And I prays he grows up to be everything God wants him to be.. Sweet little Raiden.

Thank you for this! My sweet 5 year old is being assessed in June. We have suspected he is somehow “different” since he was an infant. Like your son, he did unusual things because he liked certain sounds (my guy does a lot of sound echoing). He’s known his alphabet since he was about 2 and could write all the numbers up to ten since then. It’s been challenging to make the decision to get him assessed because he doesn’t seem “obviously autistic”, but entering into kindergarten helped us make the choice as he is struggling with some aspects of being in a classroom full of other kids. It’s sort of fun to see how people get alarmed by some of the things he says. He presents pretty typical at first, then he tells people his favorite number is 64 because it’s a square and a cube. People sometimes look confused by what he’s saying then he starts quizzing them on square numbers and they realize he’s unusually interested in math. I’m looking forward to learning more about how his brain works in the coming months.

I think he's gonna be fine. I was similar to him: was able to read and write years before school, even knew cyrillic script, would get lost in TV shows and would play with my toys for hours, knew every single character from the Transformers cartoon and was able to draw them down to the detail, knew the model names and characteristic visual details of all popular motorcycles, was very particular about food, didn't want to use spoons if they weren't warmed up to a certain temperature, etc. Just didn't talk that much and probably cared about things and my imagination more than people and playing with other kids etc. My parents never took me to see anyone because it was different times and they weren't the type. The professionals I've spoken to so far as an adult don't think I'm autistic. Who knows. Doesn't matter. Maybe I am and sometimes I think if anyone knew back then, they would have probably made me weird just by knowing it and acting like grown ups do when they "know" something.

My soon to be 3 year old just got diagnosed with ASD last week. Everything was a shock at first and I’m still processing it but the more I look into it as long as we as parents educate ourselves on what it is it we can help our kids and help others that are going through it also. We’re booked for an appointment with a specialist to see whereabouts my son is on the spectrum. But seeing other parents go through the same thing does comfort me knowing that we’re not alone. thank you for your video ❤️

What if he’s a genius? He acts like he is! ❤️

My pastor and best friend has a 2.5 year old son who has been diagnosed as autistic and he does all the same things as your son. It is actually amazing to watch this because they are so similar they even look alike.

My grandparents thought my dad was slow until he was like 2 until they realized he was just basically blind without glasses. He Ended up being the smartest member in my famiky

This is not only useful and hopeful for parent that feel new at these red flags... but also for workers with children on the spectrum sometimes is hard to see the younger characteristics because they usually get diagnosed later on. So thanks!

PLZZZZZ get him tested for metal toxicity, esp mercury. Symptoms of metal toxicity & autism overlap, infact they are exactly the same! Mine was diagnosed with autism at 2.5 under the allopathic system. I took him to a homeopath who took samples & said he has extremely high levels of mercury in him, he detoxed & now at 5 he's completely "normal". It's always worth a try, for ur sons sake

Just wanna say he's super cute and super sweet. Hope all is well. Great job reciting all the months buddy!

I have a 22 year old son with Autism. The most innocent sound u will ever need. At 12 moths he would look at my lips only and repeat what I said (amazing I thought) but not walking still crawling and flapping. I started comparing him to his older brother was 6 yrs old and noticed his milestones were a bit delayed than his brother's. Doctors said "it's fine" but having g already and older son I couldn't help but feel that there was something different. At age 3 he was diagnosed with autism...put him in early childhood special education and now he does great for his level of autism. Don't know what level he is cause all this high functioning and whatever does not really make sense or apply to my son. Yes he is somewhat independent and still cant tie his shoes and most likely will not be on his own ever. But he's come a long way and we r so proud of him. Keep a positive outlook on this and they can come as far as they reach 😊

Encouraging! My son was diagnosed half a year ago and he's 3.5 now, its a battle and yet its a treasure

You have stimulated and loved your son unbelievably, he is a very happy boy xx

I do not know why RU-vid recommended this video but I’m on the verge of tears. Such a beautiful baby. Very smart! My daughter displays similar characteristics and it worries me. I know it shouldn’t but my wife think she isn’t as “advance” as other kids but I’m confident, my daughter is smart and will catch on

My 2 month old daughter used to be like this back when she was a few weeks old, but today she put on my work shoes while I was sleeping and left a note behind telling me that I work so hard and deserve a day of rest, so she’s going to work in my place. I’m so proud of her 🥹.

He’s so cute and perfect! I’m pregnant with my first baby and this eases my mind.. even if something is wrong we will get through it and he will be okay. Praying for you and your boy

I think it’s marvellous that you have shared this as it can be very hard for parents to spot the signs. I’m a teacher and now how important early diagnosis is. Your son is very lucky to have you .

One of my two sons showed some of these traits early on. He was very smart and I ignored the family advise to have him tested, he was very smart, talkative, sensitive, and afraid of everything, but I saw it as normal behavior. He graduated High school, stayed home for two years, started college when his brother signed up. He never drove, his brother drove him the first two years and I drove him to College the third and fourth yr, but he managed to get a drivers license. He graduated College with honors but struggled to make friends. He is now 29 years old, has never dated or worked, graduated in 2017 in Computer Science with honors. He says anxiety is the problem he is scared. I have taken him to a doctor, but they don't do anything to help him.

Your son is very lucky to have such a wonderful mother, thank you for brightening my day ☀️

I’m blown away by how smart he is . I can definitely see him going far in life despite his autism !

As a sped teacher. I take a diagnosis as a label on how to understand and help an angel like him. And life does not stop there. It just means that his journey will be differently beautiful.This boy is a blessing, to you his Mom and you to him. God bless❤️

My daughter had most of these symptoms as well as a few others. As a young adult she was diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD. Both her and I can clearly see others on the spectrum, they are a special few.

I had a lot of these traits as a child. I was also labelled with having autism/ aspergers as a child. When I reached the age of 18 however, it was discovered that I had ADHD instead. It was a very confusing time for me- then I realised that nothing has changed. I was still the same person. Continue to work with what's most important for your child and encourage him to develop healthy coping mechanisms and interests. Be proud of having a unique son- he will be capable of some amazing things when he grows up 💕

When my son was about 3 months old, I noticed that he wouldn’t look us in the face for too long. He loved staring at the ceiling fan, lights or anything else but faces. I started him in early intervention at 18 months old. He was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder at age 2 then high functioning autism at age 5. He’s 20 years old now, always an an A+ student, attends NYU studying Science & Technology in the engineering school. Parents need to do the best for their child & put their feelings & ideas of perfection in the back. A physically & mentally healthy child is more important than anyone else opinion.

I pray for all of us here that our babies will all be ok no matter what. And please pray for my baby boy Patrick and my baby that's in my belly right now. Thank you. Amen & Amen 🙏❤

Early diagnosis is important to begin therapy asap I think it’s essential that you focus on what Raiden CAN DO and does amazingly well. His ability to count and recite the alphabet and days of the week and months of the year is awesome. It engages his brain and gives him pride and self confidence. Praying 🙏 for Raiden’s continued success in life.

Really love this boy and his momma!! Such a sweet family, God bless them all

I have a son like that. He is 28 now and doing fine. I lives on his own and hardly doesn't need any help. Apart of the fact that he still can't cope with laces, he does his laundry, makes himself supper (a simple one) goes shopping for food (no clothes) and goes to work in a protected area. He started really to get better at the age of 23.

Smiling and crying at the same time.. I'm a full time single dad. My twin boys have autism, they've just been diagnosed but only recently turned 2. Thank you ♥️

My son is on the spectrum, and he's 22 now. As a baby, he was having difficulty sleeping - could not self sooth. As a toddler, his arms were up often and he would "rock" all the time - in his high chair, on the couch, everywhere he sat except he couldn't rock much in his car seat. Later, he ran on his tippy toes sort of - another sign. He did have some food texture issues, and he started having sensory issues with being touched and hugged as he got older. He was intelligent and did well in school with parental influence, but he was very black and white for years, and lacked sympathy/empathy for anyone not in his tight circle. He still struggles with that and he is aware himself he does - but that doesn't change it. It's hard to care about not caring when you don't care kind of thing. He was obsessed with drawing for years and was pretty good at it - but that faded in the teen years and he no longer wants to draw. TV could entrance him for hours if you let him. He had a trampoline for over 15 years because he was also a bit hyperactive, and this is how he expended that extra energy. It was very effective. I would let him take a "jump break" anytime I could see him getting wound up while he did homework - he would come back after 10 minutes or so and be able to focus again for at least another half hour. For us, it was perfect. He jumped literally every single day he could, usually multiple times a day, for all those years. We had to replace the trampoline bouncy stuff every two years due to hot hot dry desert summers. I don't know if this will help anyone, but that's some of our experience.

I have a son that was a lot like Raiden, he is now an advanced student, and fully matriculated in NT high school. His neurologist (who diagnosed him) gave me this advice; “Don’t listen to *anyone* who tells you that there are limitations, or what to expect. NOBODY knows how far your son will go, so you get your hands on any interventions you can, and you keep pushing everyone’s expectations and bulldoze any impediments out of his way.”. I took that advice, and became his intense advocate. I have never looked back. Push the clinicians, push the doctors, push-push-push the insurance companies, get out of your comfort zone. I once thought my son might never live independently, I now wonder if he will go to a university that will require a plane or a car to go visit

Thirty years too late for us but well done creating this for others. To me, I could not understand why parenting was so difficult, so unfulfilling. I didn't realise until like you, the second one came along & she was so much easier. Toys were of no interest to him as a toddler but light switches were. "Light On, Light Off" & to do this chairs needed to be dragged across the floor. His other passion was the top loading washing machine & he would watch the instruction video over & over again. He even managed to reprogramme the machine to factory settings so it could no longer wash clothing but would flash lights in patterns. Yes, he's been a difficult chap to parent & for a long time not a happy boy at all. Now over thirty he is mellow, social and extremely funny. Happy in his skin.

My daughter, even as a baby, never really smiled. As a toddler, she very seldom spoke and could not look anybody in the eye when they spoke to her. It could be so frustrating, especially when people would ask me if she’s autistic. Then at four years old, she started to draw. She would draw and draw and draw, in three dimensions. She could draw so beautifully and with so much detail. I don’t mean stick figures either. People didn’t understand why this child of mine would not speak, but could draw with such maturity at such a young age. People with autism can be so amazing! And yes, she was diagnosed with autism.

Our daughter was finally diagnosed as high functioning autistic when she was just entering first grade. She’s 33 now. Back then the DSM only had one chapter on autism. Medical professionals were trained to tell patients what was wrong and not to be questioned. But as a mother and knowing my daughter was not developing like my older daughter had, I knew to not keep my mouth shut. I did my old school research, libraries etc. and came across an article in American Scientific about breakthrough research on brain function. The article focused on synapses and how a child’s brain is firing off so fast that when those synapses don’t make the typical connections you get cognitive disfunction. I knew then that’s what was happening with my daughter. And then I started to find other answers too. It is always a journey for any parent with their child’s growth. But when we realize our children may have some huge stumbling blocks ahead of them, we grieve. We also, have footage of some of our daughter’s struggles with her autism. Her education was tantamount in making sure she didn’t lose time. Getting an IEP in place took three years. There have been so many people who have “tried to help us” when they had no clue what we were dealing with, but here is what she has told us about them, “I don’t need to be fixed”. Autism affects the brain so that a person cannot filter out the five senses. For those who have absolutely no filter is when you see head banging and hear them make loud noises, taking clothes off, hand flapping, self stemming are all ways to cope with a world crashing in on them. Our daughter has told us that she had to find ways to distract herself so she could focus. Visually taking in another human face was so overwhelming that she couldn’t discern what emotions a person was trying to convey. So she couldn’t make eye contact. Eventually, as she got older she was able to articulate her feelings and thoughts about her autism. She has also been able to read people better and has no trouble making eye contact now. We have always been there to guide and support her while she has found her way in life regarding social skills. She has good friends and we are still protective of her. We probably always will be. But wait, doesn’t every parent feel that way? If you’ve read this far, all I have to say is congratulations! You have a beautiful child and you are the best parents for his great success in life. Bravo you are victorious!

Unfortunately, disabilities are given a negative connotation and is definitely scary but you've should tremendous love and understanding and I know your child will have a wonderful life. Plus he has a kickass name and that's awesome. Thank you for the informative video. Blessings to you and your family.

This is exactly what my son does and he's just over 2.. especially the circle dance and jumping and spinning things for very long periods of time. He will almost never watch the TV now.. omy. I'm glad to have found this.. it is super helpful. Thank you for sharing your experience with us

I'm so happy someone else recorded and shared this experience with others!! This was my daughter exactly 100%!!! Doctors said nothing wrong and give her time.. the stimming was nonstop for hours and hours and she did that spin in circles for hours too.. finally at 3 to 4 years old doctors said yes its autism, which my adult brother has and I grow up with him stimming and doing exactly same things my daughter was doing. She 10 years old now, still stimming for hours but she's soo smart and remembers things so well. She talks and is doing big things on h err r own like gets her own drink or snacks. I couldn't ask for a better child!! Your son is amazing and Thank you sooo much for sharing!! I just showed my loulou bean and she said "hes like me too" .. 💗

My nephew has autism and I love him so much!!! He’s incredibly smart and loves maths. I think you’ve done a great job raising Raiden. He is such a beautiful, bright boy.

Wow. THis is amazing. You could be talking about my son. With the exception of the level of hand flapping and the going in circles, this is what our boy did/does. He is now 3 and reads/memorizes books like crazy. He knows ABCs backwards and forwards, counting to 100 and back again. But my red flag when he was 12+ months was not responding to his name. He otherwise seemed to be hitting the milestones. Thankfully our pediatrician listened to us and at his 18mo well visit, she recommended he get the early screening STAT. I wish everyone the best for their exceptional kids.

He is the most advanced 2yr I’ve seen N I used to work with 3-5 yr olds good job mama!!

SO many similarities between your son and mine. I was blessed with a pediatrician who picked up on it VERY early and we’ve had him in occupational therapy and speech therapy. My Jamie counts to 100, knows his shapes, colors, alphabet, and phonics and is starting to read. Two days ago, at three years old, he busted out counting in Spanish. I. Was. Shocked. It’s not something we went over with him at all. He is was also obsessed with spinning wheels, and would ignore us calling him just absorbed in his own little word.

This honestly makes me go back to when my brother did the arm flapping at 7 months till he got diagnosed at 6 years old when he didn’t meet his milestones for a prek child. My brother also didn’t smile normally either. He’s now an adult ❤️ Your son is a super human! #AutismAwareness

I love that you put this video together. My twins are 8 years old and we’re diagnosed at 2 1/2. They are thriving and have even not qualified for certain services at school because they are doing so well. I also advocated for specifics with their IEPs, especially having them placed into a general education classroom for kindergarten and not a developmental (special needs) kindergarten classroom. It was the best choice I have ever made for them.

This boy is so smart. What lovely parents to teach him so well❤️

Very interesting video. Some of the things mentioned are spot on. I have Asperger's Syndrome and I diagnosed myself at age 23, just months shortly of getting my degree in Medicine. Many of these behaviors that are shown I had while being an infant, but I was never formally diagnosed, probably because of my higher than average IQ, which helped me pass by as the nerd kid at school with few friends. Now that I am older, I have all the pieces, and it has changed my perspective since I can finally understand myself, why I have certain difficulties, and why I act the way I do sometimes. Therapy is the best way to help kids in any part of the spectrum, from "classical" autists to "aspies", and I'm glad Raiden got the help he needed.

Autism clearly didn’t stop him from being so dang cute!

I am talking a course in ITMH (infant toddler mental health) and while scrolling after finishing a lecture, I found your video. I’m very glad I did😮

What I see is your child is probably a highly gifted child. Meaning he is very intelligent snd creative. Enjoy watching his personality unfold. He is a treasure.

My son didn’t start walking until he’s 19 months. Also, he didn’t speak until 2.5 years. Eye contact was an issue for him. His first word is ‘ball.’ Parallel play (no socializing), he played alone when at the daycare. He only spun the wheels of his toy cars when he played with it, stacked toy blocks upward and lined his toys. Now my son has improved a lot. He is now 8. He loves to communicate with his classmates (online class), plays with her sister. However, concentration is an issue. He needs to be reminded what to do all the time.

Thank you for bringing awareness. Early diagnosis is the key to understanding and helping children with autism! They can’t confirm to a neuro typical world; but they are just as special, and more so for all that they cope with, as any other child.

he is a sweet heart and I feel if he is trained over the years...he can overcome all obstacles .. God bless you and your family...❤